Sir: Various streets have turned into dumpsters in Karachi. Sunday is the only day of the week when the administration sends garbage collectors to deal with trash. Ten years ago, Karachi was flourishing — there were new underpasses, bridges, and expressways being built and the ‘I heart Karachi, I own Karachi’ movement introduced by former mayor Mustafa Kamal had swept the city with patriotic fervour. Over time, however, the change in the political leadership of the city saw the city administration crumble. My city is struggling to be heard, and the only way it can be paid any importance is through an operational local body system — the one true essence of democracy. Ironically it is also the one thing our government chooses to ignore. FATIMA AKHTER Karachi